


May Zephyrs Carry Rainflowers

by Airi (MultisFabulis)



Series: Corona's Shadow [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Cliche, F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Love Confessions, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-08-23 12:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16619297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MultisFabulis/pseuds/Airi
Summary: Due to it being somewhat of a foreign concept to her, Ven feels conflicted over whether or not to confess her love to her best friend, Ferreth. Only after a well-needed talk with her friend does she decide.However, subtlety is not a strong suit of hers, which starts a roundabout process...





	1. Help From The Unlikeliest of Places

     Ven stared at the gathering of flowers that sat on the table. An assortment of bellflowers, daisies, and honeysuckle, all in one place. When she initially got them from Iris, the florist had told her what they meant or symbolized. Now, however, she couldn’t recall even the faintest hint of their meanings.

     She didn’t need to be concerning herself with what some flowers meant, anyway. There were more pressing matters to attend to. More… embarrassing matters, that is. That was the best word she could use to describe what she needed yet didn’t want to think about. 

     Laying her head down on the table, she began to run through scenarios she had already ran through in her mind many times beforehand. One involved telling Ferreth how she felt about him and it ending in failure. Another was her keeping silent and that ending in failure as well. No matter how many variables changed, the result had always remained the same. 

     She didn’t want anything to change between them. Things were fine the way they were and she wanted it to stay that way. She couldn’t let her feelings for him jeopardize the friendship she cherished. Despite that, though, she wasn’t sure she’d be okay seeing Ferreth with someone else. Whether it be out of jealously or possessiveness she disliked, she had no idea. All she knew was that she was conflicted over what she wanted to do and she had exhausted every option she could think of. 

     A knock at the door drove her out of her thoughts. There was only one person she knew to be over at this time of day. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the familiar redhead on the other side of the door. 

     “Hey, Ven! Just here to check up on your plants!” Iris said happily, a bubbly smile on her face. 

     Ven didn’t answer her and welcomed her in. With a bounce to her step, Iris walked over to the table and began to inspect the flowers. Ven would never be able to understand how the other girl could tell how a plant was doing simply by how it looked. Either way, it was stuff she knew required years of research. 

     After some time passed, Iris finished her checkup and said, “Nothing to worry about! These pretty babes are as healthy as ever!” 

     “That’s good,” Ven replied halfheartedly. She tried to give a smile but was honestly too distracted to do so. 

     Noticing the melancholic state of her friend, Iris asked, “All right, Ven, what’s wrong? What’s got you so gloomy?” 

     “I’m not gloomy. I’m just… thinking about things.” 

     “Whatever you’re thinking about, it’s got you all sorts of wound up. Come on, let’s talk about it.” 

     Iris led Ven over to a chair settled near the table and sat her down in it. Afterwards, she took the other chair and placed it before Ven so they could talk face to face. As much as she didn’t want to burden Iris with her problems, Ven knew she was at her wit’s end. Maybe someone’s perspective on this was what she needed. 

     “So, tell me, what has you so on edge?” Iris asked, leaning in close as if to hear better. 

     Letting out a heavy sigh, Ven replied, “You could say that something… happened between me and Ferret.” 

     “Like what? You two had a fight or something?” 

     “No, nothing like that. More like… a thing happened to me and it’s related to Ferret.” 

     “Oh, I see. You’ve fallen in love with Ferreth, haven’t you?” 

     Shocked by her deduction, Ven buried her face into her cloak to hide the blush forming on her cheeks. She knew how obvious she was being but she couldn’t really deny what was proven to be true. With how bad of a liar she was, trying to refute that would be both meaningless and useless. 

     A cheeky smile on her face, Iris said, “I knew you had to realize it, sooner or later! With how long it took, I was about to start pooling bets.” 

     “It’s not funny, Iris. This is serious,” Ven replied, her embarrassment growing. 

     “Geez, you’re acting like this is possibly the worst thing that could have happened.” 

     “It is! I-I-I’ve never been in this kind of situation before and I don’t **want** to be! I want everything to be the same between me and Ferreth and I **can’t** have this happen!” 

     She began to play with her amethyst ring to ease some of the tension inside. She honestly felt scared about this and didn’t need Iris turning it into a joke. Mixed in with the fear was humiliation from showing how vulnerable she was. She hated how her current situation made her feel younger than she actually was, as if she were a little kid stuck in an adult’s body. 

     Realizing that her teasing went too far, Iris said, “I’m sorry, Ven. I didn’t mean to make you feel worse than you already did. It’s easy to forget that the life you had before coming here was far different than most others’.” 

     “...I’m scared, Iris,” Ven muttered under her breath, “I’ve thought about what to do and none of it seems good enough. I don’t know what to do.” 

     This was one of the only times in her life she felt utterly lost. Usually, she’d have tried even the worst of plans at this point because it at least gave her some sort of guidance. Now, she wished that she was stuck in completely different circumstances where being lost actually made sense. 

     “What even made you realize your feelings for Ferreth?” Iris asked, closer than before. 

     An embarrassed sigh later, Ven replied as her blush deepened, “It’s going to sound so stupid but… all he did was… smile at me. It wasn’t even special or anything, it was just a regular smile. That’s when I realized I… loved him.” 

     That was the first time she actually said she loved Ferreth. All she wanted to do was pull her hood up and shut the outside world away. She felt absolutely mortified, from having these feelings in the first place to talking about them to Iris. She was even going so far as to consider this hell. 

     “As dumb as this may sound, what is it about loving Ferreth that makes you so scared?” Iris asked as she rested her head on her hand. 

     “Everything!” Ven exclaimed. “If I tell him how I feel, I could end up ruining our friendship or if we do get together and something bad happens, nothing will be the same between us! There’s just too much at risk to go through with this.” 

     She treasured her friendship with Ferreth, to the same level she treasured her relationship with Eric. He was her best friend, her confidant, someone she knew to never judge her by her race or fear her from her power. He had been through so much with her that she didn’t want to imagine another adventure without him by her side. She couldn’t let the love that had sprouted shatter what she had with him. 

     She didn’t care if he rejected her. She’d consider it fair retribution since she had done the same to him months ago. Despite the part of her that didn’t want Ferreth to be with someone else, she thought it to be better if he did. It wasn’t out of her admittedly genuine insecurities but out of belief that he deserved someone better than her. Someone who wasn’t as… damaged as her. 

     “Ven, I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Iris said in a comforting tone, “That dragon has gone above and beyond to help you and I doubt he’d do that for anyone else.” 

     Iris was right about that. From helping her whenever she’d get lost in her memories to chewing out the woman that made her life hell, he had gone the distance for her. He didn’t have to do that yet he did. She could only hope to repay even the smallest amount of all he’s done for her. 

     “Ven--” Iris called out, kneeling in front of her-- “I think you should tell Ferreth how you feel.” 

     “What if everything gets ruined because of me? What if something happens? What if…” Ven trailed off, squeezing her hands in her lap. 

     “What if you end up regretting not telling him? You don’t know, everything might turn out to be fine in the end. Do you really want this to be a regret?” 

     With how she was “raised”, she couldn’t expect good things to happen. Call it a force of habit or the pessimism drilled into her head, she learned to never expect. Even now, years later, she was still under that rule. She had to trust in Iris and hope that something, be it good or at least neutral, to happen. 

     Uselessly pushing her bangs up, Ven said, “As much as I know I should, I’d rather die than tell Ferret.” 

     “So you need my help in telling him, then,” Iris replied, standing up. 

     “Any suggestions?” 

     “Well, I have an idea that won’t make you tell him directly but you still need to give it to him.” 

     Iris began to relay her plan, which Ven found herself to be agreeing with. It wasn’t too hard and it gave her the simple guidance she so desperately needed. At least, until she heard the last part of the plan. 

     “All you need to do is give him the flower and tell him what it means,” Iris explained, “I’m sure he’ll understand once you make it clear.” 

     “What does the flower mean, anyway?” Ven asked, tilting her head. 

     “It’s simple and straightforward so…” Iris paused, leaning to whisper in the other’s ear. 

     Once Ven heard it, her blush returned with a vengeance as Iris pulled away with an impish smile. The redhead said a goodbye as she walked towards the door and left to go back to her shop. Realizing what she got herself into, Ven laid her head on the table and let out several whines of embarrassment. 

     She didn’t need anything to know how screwed she was.


	2. Roundabout Confession

     Holding the rainflower she had received from Iris close to her chest, Ven went to go find Ferreth. A couple days had passed since her talk with Iris and she needed that time for two things. One, to let it sink in that she’ll be telling her best friend she loved him and hope it didn’t end badly. Two, to mentally prepare herself and gather the resolve to follow through with the plan. She felt ready for today, although she doubted she’d ever feel ready for the confession.

     She found Ferreth near the center of town, talking to Alek. Not sure of when they’d be finished, she decided to wait out of sight. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise, she thought. For what, she had no idea, but she felt grateful for it all the same. Looking at the white petals of the flower she held was all it took for her to try and remain calm. 

     As much as it scared her, she needed to do this. She didn’t want to end up regretting not telling Ferreth how she felt if they had a chance together. After all, she believed the worst that could happen would be him rejecting her. Rejection was the best worst-case scenario for her. 

     After what seemed to be forever, the two finished their conversation and Ferreth started walking in her direction. This was her chance to get him alone and tell him how she felt. Taking a few deep breaths to ease the tension, she hid the rainflower behind her back and stepped out in front of him. 

     “Ferret, would you take a walk with me?” she asked, making an effort to keep her face blank. 

     “Uh, sure. Any reason why?” he replied with a question of his own. 

     “Not… really. Just want to take a walk with you.” 

     “Okay, any destination in mind?” 

     “Anywhere.” 

     With nothing else said between them, they began to walk. She wasn’t being vague for the sake of it, she honestly had no desire to go anywhere. All she wanted was a place where the two of them could be alone. That way, there was no risk of her being found out and possibly humiliated. 

     She took the rainflower out from behind her back and held it close as they walked. Thankfully, her cloak concealed it enough to not let Ferreth see it. Giving the flower to him was the easy part. Telling him what it meant in all its essence would be the part she’d inevitably screw up on. She had a hard enough time telling Iris; trying to tell him was ten times worse. 

     Eventually, they arrived at a secluded clearing a little ways away from town. If it weren’t for the distance traveled, it’d have a chance of becoming an overlook. While it seemed a bit cliche, this was the perfect place for her to do the next step. 

     The rainflower remained in view as he went on ahead of her. As much as she wished for it to be far away, the moment of truth was here. Whatever the right course of action was, she had no idea. As if to make this moment even more cliche, a gust of wind blew by, fluttering through both her hair and the flower. 

     Her head lowered, she called out, “Ferret.” 

     When he turned around, he noticed the flower and asked, “Where’d you get the flower from?” 

     “From Iris. She wanted me to give it to someone. Someone… important.” 

     She didn’t want to say it was him outright. Although she knew it to be a stupid and rather troublesome move, she decided to stall for time. Even so, her nerves began to unravel as she struggled to keep her breath steady. 

     “She said it was a rainflower, which had a very…” she paused, trying to find the right word, “interesting meaning behind it.” 

     Moving in closer, he replied curiously, “Interesting meaning? If she gave it to you, it must be pretty serious.” 

     “She told me the meaning was…” she paused again, feeling her blush returning, “I… love… you.” 

     Despite being able to say it, embarrassment spread throughout her body. All she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and die, where no one could see her. She needed to keep reminding herself of why she was doing this. Otherwise, she would’ve ran away or given up a long time ago. 

     As if he couldn’t see how red she was, he said, “Kinda weird but flowers are weird sometimes. At least the important someone she wanted you to give it to will like it!” 

     “What would you think if I were to… give this to you?” she asked, tightening her hold on the flower. 

     “That you were just giving me a flower.” 

     “If I gave this to you, then what would it mean?” 

     “What I said before but if it’s something else, then you’re gonna have to tell me because I don’t understand it.” 

     She wanted to bang her head against a wall in the hopes of passing out from the frustration. With her luck, however, she’d probably still be conscious after everything. She knew how horrible she was at subtlety but there was no way she was this bad. Then again, she was taking a roundabout and convoluted way of saying something simple in order to avoid the risk of being humiliated. If she wanted Ferreth to know what she meant, she’d have to be straightforward. 

     Guiding his hands to the flower, she raised her head and said, “I’m giving this to you because I…I l-love…” 

     She saw the realization hit him then as he replied slowly, “Me. You love… me.” 

     Her blush deepened as she nodded her head. She let go of the flower, now being held by Ferreth. He just stared at it dumbfounded, which made her wonder if he was ever going to say anything to her. Being speechless was a rare occurrence for him and she didn’t know what to think. Then again, she just dropped a bombshell on him so speechlessness was to be expected. 

     Each second felt like an eternity as she waited for the rejection. If he truly reciprocated her feelings, he would’ve told her by now. He would never lead her on like this otherwise. If he was thinking of a way to let her down gently, there wasn’t a need since she knew rejection to be the predictable outcome. 

     Still, it shouldn’t take this long to give an answer. Fed up with waiting, she asked, “Are you going to reject me or not?” 

     With her words breaking the silence between them, he quickly shook his head and replied, “What? No, no, no, no…” 

     As he kept muttering “no” under his breath, she broke in, “Just tell me your answer so I can stop thinking about everything.” 

     “I just can’t believe it. You feel that way… for me. I just never expected it,” he said in disbelief. 

     There it was again, the same sad smile he always has whenever he tears himself down. Does he really hate himself that much, she thought. She knew how much he wanted to be better, how he felt he didn’t have any value in himself. He never expected her to return his feelings because he’d never understand why she loved him as he was. No matter how many times she’d tell him the opposite of what he thought, he wouldn’t believe it until he passed the bar he was burdened with. 

     She hated how little value he believed he had. If she had to keep reminding him he was fine the way he was, she’d gladly do it if it meant it got through his head. She just wished he’d see how much worth he had and understand there was only one of him in the world. 

     He stopped mumbling to himself, looking at her almost expectantly. Discarding the flower, he got down on one knee and gently took hold of her hands. As he tightened his hold, he told her, “You deserve to be happy so I swear to make you the happiest you deserve to be,” and rested his forehead on their entwined hands. 

     As touched as she was by his words, she also felt very embarrassed. She quickly retracted her hands and pulled her hood up to hide her face. Her face had to be entirely crimson, she was sure of it. She knew how open he was with his emotions but she didn’t expect a full-on declaration like that. 

     Realizing his mistake, he said apologetically, “I shouldn’t have gotten carried away. It’s just, you know…" 

     “It’s fine! Just… Let’s take this slow, okay?” she replied, sounding stilted. She was practically hyperventilating from how nervous she felt. 

     “That’s fine! We’ll… go at whatever pace you’re okay with.” 

     Thank god he understood. Despite how she made him wait for months, he was still going to take things slow for her. She wanted to add this moment to all the other times she felt lucky to have him. 

     After some time passed, she regained her composure and dropped her hood. She noticed him standing near the edge of the clearing, looking over at the town. With his back to her, she couldn’t see what expression his face held. Knowing him, however, he was probably happy. She stayed silent as she moved to stand next to him. 

     As she glanced at his hand every so often, she had to keep telling herself to “take baby steps”. Gathering the courage to do it, she put her hand in his and gently squeezed it. She felt comfortable with this, felt like she could do this easily enough. He eventually squeezed back and they continued to hold hands. 

     This was new and strange to her. She had never been in love, much less dealt with love before. As far as she knew, though, things between her and Ferreth would go at their shared pace. There’d be nothing to worry about so long as she had him. Despite there being some residual embarrassment left, she felt that whatever she had with him wouldn’t be so bad in the long run.


End file.
